


chip on my shoulder

by littledust



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-21
Updated: 2010-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-17 21:44:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/181470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledust/pseuds/littledust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rachel runs into Jesse at the Tony Awards.</p>
            </blockquote>





	chip on my shoulder

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this _is_ named after a song from the Legally Blonde musical. No, I am not ashamed. Also, can you tell I love me some Rachel Berry?

"Your dress is exquisite," Jesse says, managing to make it sound like an insult.

"Your sixteenth note runs need work," Rachel fires back, but she's not really in the mood. She has to go lord her Tony for Best Supporting Actress over her arch-rival. Rachel's whole future is stretching out in front of her, and it's lined with stars. Next year, Best Leading Actress is hers. "Congratulations on your award," Rachel adds, because one must be gracious, even towards someone who egged one's hair and then never spoke to one again, not even to apologize for the heinous treatment of one, which he must surely regret, especially since one is so successful now, and--

"I'd congratulate you, but I've known you were going to triumph for five years." This compliment sounds sincere, and Rachel softens in spite of herself. Some of the other girls in the business (namely, her arch-rival) whisper that she doesn't have what it takes, that she's too _nice_. Which is quite hilarious, because Rachel will never be a nice girl, but she also learned a thing or two about not being a total _jerk_ in high school.

Rachel relaxes a little, releasing the death grip on her Tony that she didn't know she had. "Well. A talent like mine is hard to forget," she allows. Reminds herself: _You don't have to talk to anyone from back then. You don't have to even be in the same room as anyone who ever treated you like--like that._

Jesse reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and Rachel's heart stops.

"For the cameras," he explains, and then withdraws his hand, looking startled. He recovers well, ever the leading man.

"Have lunch with me," Rachel blurts. "You know Robert? Of course you know Robert. Anyway, he's writing another show."

She ignores the way her pulse flutters when Jesse nods, accepting the invitation. Now she really must walk outside to greet the adoring public (and significantly less adoring arch-rival), and he needs to go smile for the cameras as well. Maybe they'll get together next week, maybe they won't. The main thing is that she'll be happy either way.

Rachel steps out to a thousand flashes of a thousand bulbs, and her smile outshines all of them.


End file.
